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In an interconnected age, it's easier than ever to access even the remotest parts of the world. But this means access to the social and ecological challenges found there too. While some see tourism as an opportunity to translate global concerns into local solutions, others question if international volunteers hinder, more than help, real impact.

For advocates, first-hand experience of social and ecological challenges offer an invaluable opportunity to gain and share knowledge about problems we’d otherwise hear little about. With a such a wide array of applications from assisting medical professionals to supporting conservation projects, the United Nationals designated 2017 ‘the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development’ in recognition of the impact socially-conscious travellers can make.

But far from easing the burdens on local aid groups or domestic agencies, critics worry about the implications of a multi-billion dollar ‘responsible tourism’ industry and express concern about the rehabilitation of a colonial ‘saviour complex’. Those who’ve worked longest tackling social and environmental issues abroad have wondered out loud about the good unskilled internationals can do as each season ends and distant challenges persist.

Should we see 'voluntourism' as a question of what good intentions and actions we can bring with us? Does volunteering abroad give an important opportunity to think and act in the world beyond our own immediate surroundings? Or should we worry more about what we leave behind?

Whether you’re a ‘Gap Yah’ graduate or a globe-trotter for good, join BeyondMe as we embark on the meatiest moral conundrum of the holiday season.

SPEAKING FOR THE MOTION:

Jonathan Glennieis a writer and researcher on international development and cooperation. He is director of sustainable development research at Ipsos MORI. He is a visiting fellow at the International Development Institute at King's College London, and has worked at the Overseas Development Institute, Save the Children UK and Christian Aid. He is the author of The Trouble with Aid: Why Less Could Mean More for Africa and Aid, Growth and Poverty.

Ellie Howard is Projects Leader at the Architecture Foundation, co-founder of London based design collective OKRA and recently designed and managed the construction of a nursery school in Gambia, West Africa in collaboration with Orkidstudio. She completed her Professional Diploma in Architecture at The CASS where she ran a lecture series on the topic of humanitarianism. Prior to undertaking her masters, Howard worked as a Team Leader for Raleigh ICS Nicaragua.

SPEAKING AGAINST THE MOTION:

Meg Kneafsey recently graduated with a BA in Anthropology and Archaeology from the University of Durham. She is a Trustee of Raleigh International and a Raleigh ICS alumna, having completed her placement in Nicaragua in 2013 working on water and sanitation projects. Since then she has also volunteered in Tanzania, led a volunteer placement in India and campaigned around development and youth empowerment issues with vInspired, Youth Employment UK and Step Up to Serve as an #iwill Ambassador.

Hugh Feltonis the Senior Sustainable Tourism Executive at ABTA, The Travel Association and manages sustainability challenges on a range of different areas including human rights, environmental impacts, volunteer tourism as well as animal welfare. Hugh helped coordinate the ABTA Volunteer Tourism Guidelines (published in 2016) and holds a BSc in Environmental and Biological Sciences and an MSc in Tourism, Conservation and Sustainable Development. Hugh has worked in the travel and tourism sector ever since; notably as the country coordinator for Frontier in Madagascar on a one year contract, programme manager for Raleigh International in Costa Rica and Nicaragua as well as setting up the gap year company for the American Institute for Foreign Studies.